エチレンオキサイドガス滅菌した医療用材料に残留するガスの定量と溶血作用

抄録

Filter paper and 8 kinds of medical devices used in our hospital were exposed to ethylene oxide for 4 hours at 55° in a gas sterilizer and then residual gas in the sterilizer was replaced with air and the articles were aerated for 12 hours at 50° in aerator.
In some of the above process, the quantity of residual ethylene oxide in articles and the hemolytic rate due to the residual gas were determined. Major contents of the results: 1) Just after replacement with air, residual ethylene oxide is detected distinctly in both filter paper and medical devices. 2) After replacement with air, even if the sterilized articles were exposed to air for 24 hours at room temperature, it was hard to remove the residual gas satisfactorily, especially from rubber devices such as catheter for enema, ballooning catheter and glove for operation. 3) In case aerator was used, ethylene oxide was removed almost completely from all articles. 4) The hemolytic rate was almost parallel to the residual amount of ethylene oxide. 5) Microscopic examination showed crateriform holes on the inside surface of catheter for enema sterilized repeatedly with ethylene oxide. Such a roughness of the surface is supposed to increase the residual amount of the gas.